MedTrace Logo

Effects of rTMS Combined With Dual-Task Gait Training on Walking and Cognition After Stroke

NCT07356687 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 184

Last updated 2026-02-06

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will investigate whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) can enhance the effects of dual-task gait training in people with chronic stroke. Participants will be randomly allocated to receive either active rTMS or sham rTMS immediately before the same standardized dual-task gait training program.

The intervention includes 12 sessions over 3 weeks. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, immediately after training, and at 4-week follow-up. Co-primary outcomes are dual-task mobility and cognitive performance during walking, quantified using dual-task cost (DTC) for gait speed and cognitive-task performance during dual-task walking (e.g., Serial 7s; Shopping List Recall). Secondary outcomes include balance/mobility, community participation, mood/sleep measures, and fall incidence.

To explore mechanisms, prefrontal cortex activity during single- and dual-task walking will be recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), and mediation analyses will examine whether changes in PFC activity explain intervention effects.

Conditions

Interventions

OTHER

sham rTMS with dual-task training

Participants will receive sham rTMS delivered using the placebo side of the same coil at the same DLPFC target location and with identical session duration and procedures (≈ 16 minutes) before each training session. Dual-task gait training will start within \~10 minutes after sham stimulation. The program includes 12 sessions over 3 weeks.

OTHER

active rTMS with dual-task training

Participants will receive active rTMS targeting the DLPFC of the affected hemisphere before each training session: 5 Hz, 90% resting motor threshold (RMT), 10-second trains with 30-second inter-train intervals, total 1,200 pulses (≈ 16 minutes) per session. Dual-task gait training will start within \~10 minutes after rTMS. The program includes 12 sessions over 3 weeks.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Research Grants Council, Hong Kong

    collaborator OTHER

  • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
50 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-01-21
Primary Completion
2028-06-30
Completion
2029-01-31

Countries

  • Hong Kong

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07356687 on ClinicalTrials.gov